ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition Review: It puts the 'pro' in professional

The ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro's design won't turn heads like its predecessors. This year, ASUS has chosen a more subtle back design. The gamer-focused glass back that looked like a console from the future waiting to be picked up is now replaced by a plain plastic back, which is not exactly a good look for flagships, but if it’s keeping the weight down then I guess we could let it pass. ASUS says that the device is 15% lighter than its predecessors at 8.9mm. For context, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is at 8.6mm and the iPhone 15 Pro Max is at 8.25mm.

The screen on the back of ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 7 is now replaced with “AniMe Vision," a mini-LED display that shows preset and customised animations. It even allows you to display icons to show the time, battery percentage, if you’re using the camera, getting a call or things like that.

AniMe Vision on the ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition (Image: Pihu Yadav)

The usefulness of it could be argued, like that of the Nothing smartphones, but it certainly sets the design language apart. Even when it’s toned down, there is nothing subtle about this device.

The front of the ROG Phone 8 is also all-display now as it does away with the outdated thick bezels on the top and bottom, and introduces a punch-hole for the front camera. The upgrade has been received with mixed feelings from gamers, saying the punch hole is a little distracting and interrupts the screen. At the same time, it also gives way to a 6.78-inch display in a comparatively smaller frame. The FHD+ AMOLED panel is clear, bright and smooth with its 165 Hz refresh rate for heavy games and 2,500 nits of max brightness when you’re playing those games under sunlight. The under-display fingerprint reader is also extremely fast and accurate.

This is where the smartphone absolutely shines and is ready to beat its competitors, starting with on-sheet specs. It runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. The ROG Phone 8 Pro Editon, which we were sent to review, comes with a whopping 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. It also comes with the AeroActive Cooler X clip-on cooler in the box, which allows you to keep the device cool while you play demanding games.

While testing the device, it was clear that there was nothing it couldn’t handle—from running graphics-heavy games for long periods to recording high-resolution videos or watching YouTube videos on the highest settings.

Running heavy games for long does take a toll on the device, and it heats up quite a lot but that is what the AeroActive Cooler X is for. It clips onto the back of the smartphone and runs the fan at different speeds depending on the temperature of the device. You can either set it on auto to let the cooler figure out and optimise or you could manually set the speed.

ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition with the AeroActive Cooler X (Image: Pihu Yadav)

The phone also comes with the Armory Crate app pre-installed, which allows you to customise your performance level based on your usage and the kind of juice you want from the processor. It primarily has three modes—X Mode+ (best performance for gaming), Dynamic (optimised performance) and Ultra Durable (power saving mode). These focus on various aspects, such as battery endurance, refresh rate, touch responsiveness, etc to give you the experience you require at the time.

Overall, the device is pretty responsive for daily usage. It runs on Android 14 with a theme that seems in line with the gamer vibe. Users will obviously have the option to change it or stick to the stock Android experience.

The camera is probably the only aspect where the ROG Phone 8 Pro could not beat its competition, which is understandable. For the longest time, smartphones have made their cameras their USP and the same goes for flagships—a 100X zoom, a 200MP camera, a 1-inch sensor, Photonic Engine for image processing, and AI features like Magic Eraser for post-photo editing. That is not the audience for this one and yet the photos are not half as bad. It gets the job done, and it does it well.

If you are a creator and want to record videos or click photos, it would certainly help you with that but you cannot rely on it for the long term. After a point, you will realise that the quality isn’t up to par and might want to consider getting a camera. But it certainly is a one-stop shop for people who are just starting out and do not want to invest a lot.

If the camera is not a priority and you just want to take pictures of your pet, the sunset, or a good night out with friends, then the ROG Phone 8 will not disappoint. Here are some sample shots:

(Image: Pihu Yadav)

(Image: Pihu Yadav)

(Image: Pihu Yadav)

(Image: Pihu Yadav)

It comes with a triple camera setup on the back—a 50MP main sensor paired with a 32MP telephoto and a 13MP ultrawide lens. The 32MP selfie camera takes decent shots at best.

If you are not gaming, you can charge this divide to 100% and then forget about it for two days. Its 5,500mAh battery also charges well in under an hour (around 40 minutes) to go from 0 to 100. That is with its 65W charger that comes with the phone. It can also charge wirelessly up to 15W.

If you are gaming, you might want to keep the phone plugged in. ASUS is smart that way by providing two charging ports—one on the bottom and one on the left side, which becomes the natural way to hold a phone when you are playing and also gives you hands-free movement without the cable getting in your way. This, of course, isn’t exclusive to the ROG Phone 8 and has been around in the lineup for a while.

The side port is also where the AeroActive Cooler X plugs in through USB Type-C. The cooler also comes with a port, so you can cool your device and charge it simultaneously.

The ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition is for professionals. It makes my iPhone 15 Pro look like a toy. In terms of performance, it can easily beat any gaming smartphone out there. Having said that, I would not recommend it to you just because you like gaming.

This smartphone is best suited for two types of people: one, those who game professionally on a smartphone and need something durable and powerful; two, those who like to game and are on the lookout for a premium flagship.

If you are not in either of the two categories, you are wasting away your money simply because the device is not everyone’s cup of tea.

The ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro (16GB+512GB) retails for ₹94,999 and the ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition retails for ₹ 1,19,999.